Is it possible that the communication devices of the 21st century — such as texting, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, email and many more — are in fact destroying communication skills and creating an obsession in the younger generations? The line between the words typed or texted, and the words spoken is slowly diminishing, creating a world where saying things like “OMG” and misspelling words such as “wat” instead of “what” is not only acceptable but also normal. In fact, it is abnormal to not be immersed into the technological world.
According to the NPR coverage and Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life project, 46 percent of Americans say computers affect their free time but over half of Americans also say they choose to spend more time on their computer than with their family and friends. Due to the convenience and the accessibility of texting and email, people have begun to feel as if their technology communication can compensate for face-to-face social interactions.
Before calling or talking face-to-face, 45 percent of adults prefer texting before any other form of contact. Eighteen to 29-year-olds receive more than 3,000 text messages in one month. Not only are technology devices affecting younger generations, but also 73 percent of adult Americans have texting and use it regularly.
Socialnomics gathered statistics concerning social media usage in the age range of 45 to 54 year-olds. Use through 2012 has grown, showing how adults are beginning to use the internet more. Social media use is also proving to be very addictive, Facebook users check-in usually 4 times daily. Since last year, there are 12 million more social media users.
A general infographic on social media by Go-Gulf, made for Spring 2012, shows Facebook, Twitter, Google Chrome, LinkedIn and Pinterest as the top social media websites. Overall it appears that women use Facebook and Twitter more than men, with 60 percent of Facebook users and 57 percent of Twitter users being women.
Out of the 901 million users of Facebook and 555 million users of Twitter, people spend over 426 minutes a month using social media.